This tutorial explains light absorption, reflection and transmission in a clear and concise manner. Provides a "Check Your Understanding" section as well as additional links on color and light.

This physics department site provides a definition and explanation of the phenomenon of total internal reflection. Includes a diagram and an equation for calculating the critical angle for light approaching a surface.

Through an illustrated tutorial and some interactive practice problems, students learn about the law of reflection of light.

An illustrated article helps students understand the concept of reflection of images and the differences in reflection with different optical devices.

Article explaining what Digital Light Processing (DLP) technology is and how it works. Includes an animation to demonstrate the technology. (Published Fall 2007)

In this physics classroom, students learn how and why light of certain frequencies can be selectively absorbed, reflected or transmitted.

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Students explain the ray model of light, describe the law of reflection, and investigate how images are formed from flat mirrors.

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Students learn about total internal reflection. More specifically, they will learn what the critical angle is, how it is derived and how to solve for it in real life...

Students investigate an example of interference that provides further evidence in support of the wavelike behavior of light.

Students can see light reflected and refracted in this demonstration. They will also discover the total internal reflection of light.

This site from Architectural Acoustics and Lighting provides a discussion of various factors affecting the acoustics of a given room. Room dimensions, the wavelength of the sound wave, the physical characteristics of the walls, the...

To understand how bounded waves behave and how reflection of waves affects the wave components.

This illustrated physics tutorial serves as a step-by-step guide to drawing ray diagrams. It includes an opportunity for students to practice and check their answers.

In this interactive activity adapted from NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey, learn about Earth's albedo (the ratio of reflected vs. incident solar radiation), how pollution alters albedo, and how ice-albedo feedback may accelerate...

The operation of Polaroid filters on a pair of sunglasses is shown.

In this experiment, students construct models of larger red and smaller blue waves on index cards, and use them to investigate how light behaves when it is reflected off the front and the back of soap film.

Investigate the constructive and destructive interference of waves as they reflect off the front and back surfaces of soap film. See what colorful effects can be created on a large, vertical soap film surface where gravity comes into play.

Informative sight detailing the basics of what a scanner is and what it can do.

Investigate the behavior of light that is reflected off a spherical mirrored surface.

Explore the behavior of light as it reflects off a concave mirror in this optical illusion.

In this activity students will create images of images of images that can repeat forever. Students will recreate this effect by setting up two acrylic plastic mirrors.

After constructing a frame with a mirror made of horizontal strips, explore what your face would look like if it was made up of half of someone else's.

Learn how rainbows work by reading this illustrated explanation.